A new chapter coming at y'all! Sorry for the wait, it was a busy week finishing Kill la Kill. So sad it's over. T_T
We're still not quite near the end of this tale yet, but I do think it's starting to get good. They'll be a little bit of changing gears this chapter, just so you know.
Anyway, read on, and enjoy! And be sure to review!
- KILL AVANT KILL -
EPISODE 5: AVERAGE MAN
It was as if each blow only intensified the growing emotions within Takaharu Fukoroda's heart.
Gritting his teeth and with just a bead of sweat coming down from his brow, the boxer pounded at the punching bag as hard as he could, each blow resonating from his mental unrest.
Today was like every other day of this last week: empty and without any club members to speak of. Takaharu would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he was beyond aggravated at his club's descent into failure, while Omiko seemed to be shining brighter than ever with the success of her Girls' Tennis Club.
But despite the grim reality of his club's status, that wasn't what was bothering the No-Star boxer the most. No, it was something far worse. Something he never thought he would have to deal with for a long time.
With each blow from his glove-covered fists, Takaharu could feel his jealously practically staining the red and gold punching bag.
And as he narrowed his eyes and focused on his stance, he could just vaguely see the cocky smile of one Uzu Sanageyama manifesting itself on the bag's surface.
As Takaharu's fist sped towards the bag, he imagined Sanageyama standing right in front of him. His fighting spirit seemed to increase as he imagined the Elite Four member's grin, hands in his pockets as if he didn't even need to fight.
But as much as Takaharu wanted to land the punch, it never did hit its mark.
Instead, he found himself stopping short, his fighting spirit dissipating as he shook his head in frustration. Chest heaving from two straight hours of sparring with the punching bag, Takaharu clambered over to the massive, fifteen-foot tall water cooler nearby.
As he chugged a good four liters of water, he continued to see faint glimpses of Sanageyama's face on the punching bag. A second later, and he could have sworn he saw a glimpse of Omiko.
It was when his mind conjured up the image of the two of them in a loving embrace that he began to realize exactly what was going on. Takaharu gasped as he realized that he had managed to crush the paper cone cup in his hand while caught up in such an intense thought.
"No!" declared to himself in defiance. "This is not the kind of distraction I need right now."
Clenching his fists, Takaharu looked up again to see the image of Sanageyama in place of the punching bag again. But instead of seeing the pillar of athleticism and inspiration to all aspiring sportsmen, he saw a cocky, arrogant human being. And next to that, was none other than Omiko Hakodate, arms wrapped around him. She shot back a sharp-toothed smile at him, as if enjoying his pain.
Fatigue was fully setting in, and when Takaharu imagined the two of them sharing a sharp-toothed kiss, he lost it.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" he shouted, the red aura of his fighting spirit channeling around him.
With a defiant roar, the boxer charged at the punching bag, blinded by a mix of rage and envy. His blows hit with the force of wrecking balls.
"TE!"
The stuffing burst out of the bag with but the first blow.
"KEN!"
Blood rushed to Takaharu's head.
"FUN!'
The wall cracked as if hit by an earthquake when part of the bag made impact.
"SAAAAAAAI!"
The last was almost too much for his arm to handle, and Takaharu retracted slowly as he began take labored breaths.
When he finally looked up, Takaharu was greeted with an unexpected sight.
The punching bag was almost unrecognizable. Most of it, sand included, was scattered on one side of the Boxing Club clubroom in a violent display. However, two pieces were cut right into the wall, the force of impact having created two large indents in the structure.
But what amazed Takaharu the most, was that those indents had created a unique shape.
As the two pieces of the punching bag fell away, the indents revealed themselves to be in the shape of a heart. Takaharu felt his face go warm, realizing with the last punch, he had a clear image of Omiko Hakodate's face in his mind.
Removing his gloves for but a moment, the boxer looked down at his hands, his knuckles red with rawness from all his constant punching. Sitting down, Takaharu played back everything in his head.
The truth he never wanted to admit was beginning to fall into place.
Omiko Hakodate had straight out told him that she felt something for the infamous kendo master and Elite Four Member, Uzu Sanageyama. And in response, after quite the exclamation, Takaharu had gone green with envy.
Why was that? The boxer felt his heart rate speed up at the very thought.
Well, because he developed feelings for the twin-tailed tennis shark, of course.
A cruel fate to the boxer who had thought winning a One-Star Goku Uniform would be a walk in the park.
Nothing was ever straightforward anymore.
Though he never would admit it anyone, Sanageyama always dreaded these moments of waiting for Satsuki, and he especially dreaded them when he was doing it by himself.
It wasn't that he was particularly afraid of her, despite knowing fully well that she could kill him with nothing more than a broken teacup.
No, for as intimidating as she was in both her demeanor and raw skill in combat, Sanageyama found something else about his revered Satsuki-Sama to be unsettled by.
Because when he sat by himself in her private abode high above Honnoji Academy, and his sensitive ears picked up every little sound around him, they inevitably caught onto the delicate sound of the shower just behind the wall.
Sanageyama had always been inherently blessed with extraordinary senses, but they seemed to be just as much of a curse as they were a blessing. Because as he listened , he could hear the patter of water drops on delicate skin. Essentially, his senses were so good, that by listening to the water drops fall and make impact, Sanageyama could paint an accurate picture of the object they were falling on.
And so, Sanageyama dreaded waiting for Satsuki during her daily showers, because he had indirect knowledge of exactly what she looked like without her normal white and blue uniform. He knew every curve, every delicate contour of her body, and the very thought made him shudder with immorality.
He could only wonder what would ever happen if he ever lost his sight. It would probably only make his issue with indirectly invading Satsuki's privacy even worse.
At least if Gamagoori, Inumuta and Jakazure were with him, Sanageyama could at least attempt to distract himself from the mental painting of a stark naked Satsuki. But by himself, he could do nothing but wait, and try to focus on more respectful thoughts.
Lucklily for him, the Student Council President had taken a particularly short shower this evening. As she walked out, clad in her pristine white bathrobe, Soroi was already prepared with her usual serving of tea.
"Thank you." she told her faithful butler, before bringing the cup to meet her delicate lips.
Sanageyama stood up out of respect, but his nose managed to catch a faint odor of tea. From that simple smell, he gauged that Soroi's batch was mostly water and probably not as flavorful as it could be. Nevertheless, it didn't seem to phaze Satsuki one bit, as she gave her butler a pleasant smile of acknowledgment all the same.
Sanageyama realized quickly he had allowed himself to remain disrespectfully silent for too long.
"You called for me, Satsuki-sama?"
Satsuki took a seat, clearly relaxed. "That I did, Uzu. You were the first of the Elite Four to be summoned. I understand that Hakodate and Fukoroda have proven themselves to be quite the hopefuls."
Sanageyama felt himself both rise and sink at the same time, but he replied with gusto anyway. "Well, Hakodate is definitely promising. But as for Fukuroda: I'm not exactly sure. He doesn't seem to have much of a club."
Satsuki's smile faded, putting on her stalwart tone of voice. "Well, it looks like he will have his chance. The Ensemble Escalation begins tomorrow, and one of your Athletic hopefuls will have their chance at a One-Star Goku Uniform, whether they have club members or not."
For a moment, Sanageyama faltered in his unshakable respect. He looked up, a puzzled expression on his face.
"But Satsuki-sama, wouldn't that just encourage the slackers that club responsibility comes second to skill? I don't fully understand if that's..."
He couldn't allow the word wise to slip from his tongue, lest he dare insult Satsuki's judgment and incur the wrath of Gamagoori, who he knew would find out sooner or later.
But Satsuki seemed to sense his defiance, and in a dramatic display, she stood up, her bathrobe billowing as she held Bakuzan in front of her. Light seemed to shoot out in resplendent rays from behind Satsuki, but it still wasn't enough to stop Sanageyama from seeing the almost uncensored view of the Student Council President's impressive body. He could only remain speechless as she spoke.
"I want you to understand something, Uzu Sanageyama! Those with the strength to succeed even in their darkest hour are the only ones to deserve the honor of wearing a Goku Uniform! I, Satsuki Kiuryin, decree this because I believe that it is the only way to reveal the strength in the hearts of the willing!" she announced, her tone as powerful and stalwart as expected.
She narrowed her eyes as she noticed the slight facial twitches in Sanageyama's expression. "I would have expected that of all my Elite Four, you would have known just how important true strength is. You do remember where you came from, after all?"
Sanageyama held his head low in respect. "How could I possibly forget?"
The days of being the bancho leader of the Northern Kanto Gang Leader Alliance seemed like only yesterday. The thrill of his first battle with Satsuki was still with him. And there was still that faint mark of the backward sword thrust that defeated him on somewhere on his person.
"Good." the Student Council President said to him. "Never forget that even in defeat, you are given a chance to show your true strength. I would have not offered you a place as my Elite Four otherwise. Remember that when you inform your Club Presidents of tomorrow's event. I will tell them myself before the day is done."
Sanageyama finally stood up, and it took every fiber of his being not to show tears. Satsuki had that effect on him, for she was could be so inspirational sometimes that he could barely keep his composure.
"Thank you, Satsuki-sama! I am forever grateful for your guidance."
Of course, even in his respectful stance, he made sure to keep his eyes away from the visible curves of Satsuki's body underneath the bathrobe. And unfortunately for him, this was something she very easily noticed.
"I sense guilt coming from you, Uzu. You do not hide it well."
The Student Council President sat down, suddenly inquisitive over the Elite Four member's subtle behavior. Little did he know that with her own seemingly confident expression, she hid a degree of embarrassment that he would never suspect. It was only pure self-control that stopped her from showing even a hint of it.
"Truthfully," Sanageyama began, trying to be brave with his words. "I feel I know parts of you that I shouldn't."
As expected, it took the Student Council President only moments to connect the dots and realize what he was talking about. She was well aware of his fidgety nature whenever she finished with her daily cleansing. When coupled with his impressive hearing, and the fact that he seemed uncomfortable even with the other Elite Four around, Satsuki had figured out Sanageyama's issue long ago.
"I am ashamed of nothing." she told him flat out. "This body is but the vessel with which I will seize my goals, and I am proud of it in its most purest form. You need not be sorry that it interests you in any way."
Unable to immediately respond, it was these words that finally caused Sanageyama to lose his cool enough to allow him to show the slightest red flush on his face. Nevertheless, he remained as composed as humanly possible when he did finally reply.
"Thank you, Satsuki-Sama. I will...I will be on my way!"
He was quickly gone, unable to fully understand what Satsuki meant, but also realizing that it was a subtle invitation to a part of her he did not yet fully understand.
When he was out of sight, the Student Council President smiled to herself as she spoke seemingly to herself.
"I appreciate the chivalry, Sanageyama. It is a pleasant feature on a man." she said in a sweet tone that she often kept only to herself.
It was very much on purpose though. Sanageyama heard her even behind the door to her private abode, and his expression of complete surprise was all the proof anyone would ever need.
To say that it Takaharu was dying on the inside, as he stood quietly next to none other than Omiko, would be an understatement.
Like the rest of Honnoji Academy's student body, he and Omiko had been called for a large rally at the end of the school day. Just beforehand, Takaharu had attended a short meeting in the Athletics clubroom, where Sanageyama had informed them all that tomorrow would be the chance they'd been waiting for.
But even though he knew that the opportunity to win a Goku Uniform was finally approaching, the young boxer had other things on his mind. Despite being around Omiko for so long, he had been unable to say so much as a word to her. Because when he saw that look in her eyes every time she glanced at Sanageyama, and Takaharu remembered the feelings she admitted having for the Elite Four member, Takaharu felt about as worthy as a decrepit Balboa.
And so, he stood silent and stalwart, waiting in assembly with Omiko, the other No-Stars and the Elite Four for Satsuki to make her appearance.
Next to him, Omiko similarly had little to no idea what he could be thinking. Though her club had been doing quite well in the past week, she was beginning to think that these feelings she had discovered for Sanageyama were just going to distract her. Because of this, she made sure to look anywhere but at him when she stood at attention.
Takaharu could only wonder in the back of his mind exactly what about Sanageyama made him so much better. His mind brushed past the notions of skill and status, instead much more concerned on the subject of height. He grimaced at the thought.
Thankfully for Takaharu and Omiko though, their reprieve to their distressed thoughts arrived in a resplendent light. Students became absolutely rigid under the watchful eye of Ira Gamagoori as Satsuki Kiryuin finally arrived, taking her place at a new podium that had been constructed this morning by the Carpentry Club.
"Students of Honnoji Academy!" she began, her voice loud and commanding. "I, Satsuki Kiryuin, feel that you are finally fit enough to know that tomorrow, your chances will come. It is on this day, that as your Student Council President, I reveal the opportunity all of you lowly No-Stars have been been waiting for!"
Below the stage set up outside, members of the Obstacle Construction Club got their cue, activating the apparatus they had tirelessly constructed underneath the entire Academy itself.
Gigantic gears and mechanisms came to life, and as with Tennis Tartarus, the huge space between the Student Body and the stage upon which the Student Council Stood opened up like a futuristic hangar.
From its belly emerged a huge tower that was at least a good thirty stories tall. It superficially resembled a huge rock-climbing structure, but it was riddled with all manner of platforms and difficult obstacles that it looked like something else entirely. In a more horrific display, the thing was riddled with all manner of gigantic eyes, which twitched and rolled around, looking down at students as if they were morsels to be consumed.
But it was at the top of this massive structure, where rays of blue light emitted, that the students found themselves completely mesmerized.
For right at the top, was none other than a single One-Star Goku uniform, neatly folded atop a small podium in plastic wrap, waiting for the one who would claim it.
"Rest well." Satsuki told the students, as they continued to look up in awe. "For tomorrow, you will need it."
Her sword slammed on the ground, as she addressed the entire Academy with fervor.
"The truth of this world waits for you atop this mighty tower! Tomorrow will come the Ensemble Escalation, and only those with the strength to fight their way to victory will taste the rewards! I, Satsuki Kiryuin, expect nothing from failures, and everything from true champions!"
The rays behind her intensified. Even the Elite Four could not help but be in awe at her presence.
But some of the Student Body were too distracted to be in awe.
Takaharu could not help but gulp at the sight of such a superstructure. He glanced at Omiko, who noticed his gaze but said nothing. Exactly as he had expected.
He remembered his fear of heights. The boxer's heart began to thump in his chest.
Tomorrow was going to be one hell of a school day.
So I'm sure some of you are probably wondering why there was such a long scene with Satsuki and Sanageyama in a story that's supposed to be about Takaharu and Omiko.
Well, I guess it has something to do with foreshadowing, but I'm not going to tell you. You'll have to wait and see. :D
On an unrelated note, does anyone know if there's any way to find that Audio Drama CD 1 for Kill la Kill? There's a little thing with Omiko and Takaharu in that (the part that makes them canon as a pair), and I feel I need to listen to that at some point before this story is done.